LORIS KARIUS came out of the cold to a hot reception from wife Diletta Leotta on his Schalke debut.
The former Liverpool and Newcastle keeper, 31, made his German second-tier debut 371 days after his last game.
Diletta Leotta was at Schalke watching Loris Karius[/caption]
Leotta is more used to viewing Serie A than the German second level[/caption]
LoRis Karius and Diletta Leotta were wed last June[/caption]
Karius was pleased with his log-awaited return after joining Schalke[/caption]
And his TV presenter partner posted glamorous pictures as she watched on from the impressive VELTINS-Arena, which regularly hosts sell-out crowds of 62,271.
Karius revealed afterwards he was delighted with his performance, having only played twice since February 2021.
And Leotta looked just as pleased, six weeks after her husband signed for Schalke for the rest of the season.
The 31-year-old produced a string of classy saves before Senegalese striker Pape Meissa Ba hit his side’s late winner.
Karius’ wages are understood to be dwarfed by his wife’s.
Bild say he will pocket around £125,000 for his half-season deal – compared to the estimated £840k a year that Leotta earns as a star DAZN broadcaster covering Italy’s Serie A.
And she has a growing army of social media fans, including 9.1million followers, helped by sharing snaps in incredible outfits from the Italian top flight.
But although Karius’ salary might be modest compared to his Premier League days, his focus is on reviving his career.
Schalke team-mates mobbed Karius after a late double save[/caption]
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And after launching his Schalke stint with a clean sheet, he told German TV: “For a goalkeeper, it’s always good if you can distinguish yourself.
“I tried to give the team security and to defuse what came at the goal.
‘But that’s my job, I would be disappointed if I didn’t make those saves. That was fine for the debut.”
And Schalke boss Kees van Wonderen was even happier – raving that Karius could “make the difference” for his mid-table Bundesliga 2 team.
Van Wonderen axed 24-year-old Justin Heekeren to give the ex-Manchester City youth his chance.
And The Athletic quote him as saying: “It’s always a difficult decision
“But he’s been here for two months and today he showed that he can make the difference
“I’m happy for Schalke, for the team and for him. Our goalkeeper made the difference today.”
As for Karius, having such dazzling support in the stands can only help.
A glimpse into the life of Leotta…
Diletta stunned as she presented the Turin derby on Italian TV[/caption]
The glamorous TV host put on a leggy display pitchside[/caption]
And boasts 8.9million followers[/caption]
Diletta gave birth to her first child with Karius in August[/caption]
Diletta is no stranger to some extravagant outfits on her Instagram[/caption]
Diletta and Karius in Milan[/caption]
She has flipped between blonde and brunette looks[/caption]
She has previously worn an outfit similar to her Tomb Raider look[/caption]
Diletta with a pared back look[/caption]
Leotta has 8.6million Instagram followers[/caption]
She is a presenter for Dazn[/caption]
Leotta burst on to the scene with Sky Sports[/caption]
She posts regularly updates on Instagram to the delight of her fans[/caption]
